#182. One man’s “hail” is another man’s dry heave. The game has been played and Kendall’s Michigan Wolverines have defeated Dillon and Kory’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Yes, this means that in a future episode we will feature the outcome of the disgusting food bet the fellas wagered, but for this episode, we’re still in shock by the viewership numbers this game had. The Vegas odds were beat, but Kory in his recent trip still didn’t feel like pressing his luck. Instead he and his special guest took in the sights and ate the overpriced food. Meanwhile, Dillon listened to the nostalgic harmonies of The Gaither Vocal Band. The faces are mostly different, but the aroma of the room never changes. Speaking of aromas, Kendall is past his first COVID infection, but some of his sense of smell remains awry which is effecting one of his favorite beverages. We touch on LIV golf, the Saudi-backed competitor of the PGA before we get into our media usage. Dillon is loving seeing Ted Lasso on FIFA 23 for PlayStation while also continuing his “Aladdin and Jasmine” journey into World Cup soccer. Kory has finished Andor and has watched Beast, Force Majeure, and The Square. Kendall is ruining his brain on professional wrestling. Please chime in via voicemail! If that’s too forward for you, try making your thoughts known on social media. All the links and info can be found in the LinkTree below. Until next week, be kind to each other.

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#181. Have you ever wanted to get into the mind of a game creator? Jordan McLaughlin is the founder of Rookie Mage Games, a company producing clever card games for friends and family of all ages. We take some tangents including horror films, pizza, and mashed potatoes, but the bulk of this episode is us picking the creative brain behind some masterpieces of story telling. The beauty, as we find, behind the story telling of his games is the freedom for the player to create a visual world inside their own imagination as they relate to others to try to solve mysteries and stash nuts. We also get into some of the logistics behind producing games including manufacturing, troubleshooting, and navigating kickstarter. We know we have more in common to chat with Jordan about than one episode can hold, but Jordan, thank you for this one and we look forward to meeting you again and seeing what the future of Rookie Mage Games has in store.

Rookie Mage Games - https://www.rookiemage.com/

Rookie Mage Amazon Store - https://www.amazon.com/stores/RookieMageGames/page/08B0814E-C32F-4933-8225-C6D12072B18A?ref_=ast_bln

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

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#180. Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t burn the turkey. Or do it and replace it with ham, bacon, or even bologna and enjoy your celebration that much more. But if turkey is your thing and you turn to a Thanksgiving-themed TV dinner, you have an inept employee from Swanson’s to thank! If you’re looking to pack a TV dinner for a school lunch and have no idea how that could be practical, just wait for “Anything But a Backpack Day” and bring your microwave with you. After stuffing yourself this week, be like Dillon and go all Clark Griswold on the house before THE game. And if you lose a bet, your friends might make you eat something like dry turkey. Also known as turkey. Why can’t we have venison for Thanksgiving? We can all follow Kory’s lead and harvest a deer to feed our extended families for a day. Then we can make a coat out of the pelt so when we get it dry cleaned, some kid in the back can score some pics for IG. Anyway, we also streamed some stuff: The Severance, The Crown, Spirited, The Bad Guys, The World Cup, WWE, and Andor. Seriously, happy turkey day everyone. We love you all. Until next time, be kind to each other.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

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#179. Stoke the fire and find a cold one; the fellas from Grab’em in the Brisket are here! We wish we could say we’ve known these guys before they were cool, but their quick wit and Texas charm precedes us. We love food and there’s no better brains to pick than this collective who run a mouthwatering podcast centered around America’s favorite culinary pastime: BBQ. They graciously shared their experience as we asked our meat smoking, steak, and sides questions. But we do take some time to sample the infamous Mt. Dew Fruit Quake which they cheekily mailed to us and is likely still smoldering in Dillon’s intestines. We also talk about other things like sports, Star Trek vs. Star Wars, and commercialism for the elderly. This was truly a blast for us. Thank you, Grab’em in the Brisket!

Grab'em in the Brisket - https://www.grabeminthebrisket.com

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VOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412

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#178. Halloween is barely over, which is just another way of saying “Merry Christmas!” Or at least, it’s time to take a look at the movie trailer for A Christmas Story Christmas, the highly anticipated sequel to the classic Christmas Story film. We recommend checking out the sequel, but in the privacy of your own bathroom at home where you may listen at full volume without the judgement of the stranger in the neighboring stall. If you do have time to watch the film in a public restroom, there may be something wrong with you. Perhaps it’s just the fruit cake flavored Mt. Dew you sampled, or perhaps you should talk to your chiropractor. Enough bathroom talk. Now onto our streams. We have recently watched and offer some thoughts on The Patient, Only Murders in the Building, The Mole, and just to level things out, we share our thoughts on Kanye. What are your thoughts on Ye? How about movie sequels potentially ruining your love of the original? Any questions you’d like us to field? Let us know via the LinkTree below. Until next time, be kind to each other. Don’t shoot your eye out.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

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#177. Happy Halloween, Middlers! We kick off our spooktacular with a look into Halloween and Holiday adjacent movies; films which aren’t necessarily holiday specific in plot, but perhaps support the holiday setting we enjoy. Die Hard would be a good example, but we all know that one is a Christmas movie through and through. Kendall brings up a book because he thinks he’s soooo smart. Nerd. Then, before we get into some state-by-state stats on Halloween costumes, Kory ponders a question about feet on planes. Should men take their shoes off mid-flight? Is it different for women? Finally, we close this abbreviated episode with a peek at Kory’s thoughts on Hocus Pocus 2. Have you seen the long awaited sequel? Do you want to see man feet? Did you dress up as an inflatable dinosaur? We would love to hear from you! The LinkTree below will guide you to the various methods of interacting. Until next time, be kind to each other and check under your bed before falling asleep.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

VOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412

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#176. Caffeine is just a marketing ploy that doesn’t deliver on promises of stimulation. Or at least that’s what these three non-scientists are here to say. Also, truffle and caviar are just marketing ploys to get people to spend lots of money on things that taste gross. We’re not chefs. We’re not doctors. We are PODCASTERS! Podcasters are a lot like YouTubers, only we feel weird about cameras in public. Anyway, Kory is home from England and Switzerland and he updates us about the back end of his trip which includes what may be his new favorite city! After the break we catch up on some streaming and sticker spottings (Dillon saw a funny sticker on a truck traveling an Indiana freeway…and he describes in like only he can). What are we watching? Elvis, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, The Rings of Power, Picard, Welcome to Wrexham, and Dahmer - Monster. Have any weird or interesting thoughts or questions come to mind while listening? Head over to the socials, email, or voicemail/text number to let us know! Details are in the LinKTree below. Until next time, be kind to each other!

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

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#175. Smooth and sultry: two words to describe the timbre of what feels like our classiest hour. Dillon brings us to the mythical land of Scranton with his Dutch take on the working class via plastic sculpting. He calls it LEGO, The Office. Then he takes us on a ride around a German inspired faux pine on the Hogwarts Express. Kendall laments the rearing of children in solitude. Then after a pause, Kory reminisces on his adventures among Ye Olde historical establishments as he celebrates authentic European cuisine. Friends become victors and defeated in a race of fantasy chariots, which the local Bois of Burritos and travelers alike refer to as Mario Kart. ’Tis a smart episode. We hope you linger around to enjoy the volume to its end and then we implore you to visit the fabled LinkTree to partake in the sharing of story. Until we meet again, be benevolent to thy brethren.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

VOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412

Artius Man - https://artiusman.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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#174. An eccentric YouTuber found some fame but didn’t dress for the occasion, and therein lies a piece of the charm. Dillon and Kory saw Mark Rebillet in concert and found things “Wonderfully Weird” as Dillon put it. Kory had just found his hotel room in England before recording, so we got to interact his jet-lag as he shared his strategy to combat the disorder. Perhaps a pleasant surprise from a nearby McDonalds boosted his adrenaline, because, guys; McDonalds in England is STILL DOING MONOPOLY! What’s going on with contract negations in the states? We need to fix this. We spend the back half playing a new game. Into It or Over It is a game where Kendall presents the guys with what he perceives as declining trends to ask if we are ready to see them go, if we’re still holding on, or if Kendall’s wrong and the trend is still going strong. Examples from this week’s round include Wordle, LEGO Masters, sign art, and the bacon craze. Suggestions are always welcome! Leave your thoughts and questions via any of the avenues found in the LinkTree below. Until next time, be kind to each other.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

VOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412

Artius Man - https://artiusman.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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#173. It’s Homecoming season! This leads to some “kids these days” moments. Also, in “adults these days” we grown-ups have our own Happy Meals now! McDonalds is rolling out the limited time toy-centered deal for adults, which begs the question; what would you want in your adult Happy Meal? Perhaps a short run of LEGO figurines so Kory can work his charm on the employees to give him just the one he needs. As geeky as that sounds, it would sound worse coming from Chris D'Elia, to whom we say not all geeks have a lisp! But it IS funny. Kory also shares a road rage encounter and a separate questionable “smoke coming from a car on a dead-end street” situation. One we’re pretty sure he handled correctly, but how about the other? We also discuss music gatekeeping and creepy smiles. In media and streaming we bring up the horror flick, Smile as well as Star Trek’s Picard, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Beast. We posed some questions and we need answers! Chime in via the LinkTree below. We appreciate you all. Until next week, be kind to each other.

Main Landing Page - https://linktr.ee/fromthemidpod​​​​​​

VOICE MAIL! Comment, ask a question, suggest topics - (614) 383-8412

Artius Man - https://artiusman.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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